Rangers News

Rangers Agree to Terms with Defenseman Cory Cross

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with free agent defenseman Cory Cross. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Cross, 31, has spent the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, appearing in 50 games last season, registering three goals and nine assists for 12 points, along with 54 penalty minutes. He ranked fifth on the team with 132 hits and posted a career-high three points (two goals, one assist) on April 10 at MSG. He also collected eight penalty minutes in 12 post-season matches, helping Toronto reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 6-5, 220-pounder has skated in 498 career matches with Toronto and the Tampa Bay Lightning, registering 22 goals and 71 assists for 93 points, along with 545 penalty minutes. In addition, Cross has skated in 41 career playoff matches, registering two goals and three assists for five points, along with 42 penalty minutes. In each of the last three seasons with the Maple Leafs, he has appeared in a minimum of 11 Stanley Cup playoff matches.

While with Tampa Bay, he recorded single season career-highs in all major statistical categories, including games played (75, 1995-96), goals (four, 1996-97), assists (16, 1998-99), points (18, 1998-99) and penalty minutes (95, 1996-97). With the Maple Leafs in 1999-00, Cross equaled his personal best for goals in a season with four.

The Lloydminster, Alberta native was originally selected by Tampa Bay as its first choice, first overall, in the 1992 NHL Supplemental Draft. He was acquired by the Maple Leafs on October 1, 1999, along with a 2001 seventh round draft choice (Ivan Kolozvary), from Tampa Bay in exchange for Fredrik Modin.